Medical Marijuana Laws for Maryland’s Neighbors

January 23, 2014 By Lindsey Bridwell

Delaware: The Delaware Medical Marijuana Act took effect on July 1, 2012, allowing doctors to authorize marijuana use for patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, the physical manifestations of post-traumatic stress disorder and conditions that cause severe, debilitating pain, wasting syndrome, intractable nausea and seizures. The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services began fielding proposals to open a pilot nonprofit “compassion center” in late 2013 and will issue a permit to a compassion center to begin growing medical marijuana on July 1, 2014. The center will be allowed to cultivate up to 150 marijuana plants and keep up to 1,500 ounces of marijuana on premises. The law allows each county to operate one compassion center, and patients will be allowed to possess up to six ounces of marijuana purchased from a center at a time.

New Jersey: Physicians must register with the state’s medical marijuana program. They can recommend medical marijuana to patients they’ve seen at least four times and for at least a year who are suffering from cancer, glaucoma, seizures and spasticity disorders including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, muscular dystrophy, HIV/AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease including Crohn’s disease and any terminal disease with a prognosis of less than 12 months of life. Three dispensaries are open, and three more are in the process of getting certified. Patients must go through an application process through the New Jersey Department of Health. Possession is limited to two ounces per month, and patients cannot grow their own marijuana.

Washington, D.C.: Patients must obtain a doctor’s recommendation and register with the city’s department of health to be eligible for medical marijuana. Patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, muscle spasticity and cancer can qualify for the program. There are three dispensaries open in the city, although the law allows for more. Patients can possess two ounces of marijuana at once and cannot grow their own.